Little 'n' Large

Temple of the Clear Springs

About 1,000 years ago, when dragons ruled the skies, an Underground Village built a temple to Bahamut, spread over two levels, and were blessed with a spring of pure water. It’s been lost for a long time, but recently a paladin had two dreams. In the first the temple was restored to its former glory and worship of Bahamut spread. In the other demons overrun the temple, cackling.

The Order of the Hammer have been searching for the temple for 6 months and located it nearby. Two weeks ago a group of their best clerics and warriors set out and found the entrance but were driven back by the inhabitants, an orc tribe (that they mostly slew) and a band of trolls. The troll chieftain cultivated rust monsters as dangerous ‘pets’ that caused the paladins much trouble. Before they were driven out, the paladins saw demonic influence on the temple entrance and are anxious that it be cleansed.

The PCs undertook to clear and cleanse the temple in return for payment.

Over 1000 years ago: Original temple to Bahamut built in area. City springs up around it.

800 years ago: The ancient black dragon, Sharn, attacks the city, with a flight of dragons, including her 5 daughters (Shivastri amongst them). Most are killed, but two youths hide underground. They spend two nights without water, until Bahamut causes fresh water to spring from a crack within their cave

800-770 years ago: Recovering from the dragon attack, the Temple of Clear Waters is built underground, around the miraculous waters with their healing, purifying properties. Its two founders are the original two youths that escaped – Liarella and Justin. Their twin sons are Bradaman and Lucian, who founded the order of Paladins and Avengers respectively that served within the temple.

770-750 years ago: The golden age of the temple. Under the leadership of Bradaman and Lucian, many brave deeds are done, dragons and demons slain and the area now known as the Borderlands prospers

750-600 years ago: The silver age. After Bradaman and Lucian set out jointly to slay Sharn and her brood, they are not heard from again. The head of the Bahamut church, the Heirarch, in the city of Nos Leikos in the country of Hyrkan, declares them both as saints, and many worshippers claim to have visions of them, serving Bahamut in the afterlife. An age of relative peace, though with occasional campaigns waged against aggressive humanoid tribes, and smaller draconic forces from the south

625 years ago: Pieter born and raised within the temple, trained to be a paladin. Serves alongside ???

600 years ago: A halfling with strange arcane powers, claiming to be the Starchild (a member of The Nine, long thought to have passed into legend) arrives, bringing prophecies of doom from the south. The ruling Holy See decide to abandon the temple, hiding it to preserve the sacred waters. Their pilgrimage/escape from the area also causes many in surrounding towns and villages to also travel with them. A large minority, including many paladins, disagree with this ruling, and stay behind in the area to guard the now hidden temple.

598 years ago: Hearing of this retreat, a large force of dragons, under the command of Sharn, again return to the area, and are opposed by the remaining paladins and people of the plains. Pieter is struck down in combat with Sharn’s daughter and lieutenant, Shivastri.

598-c 450 years ago: The Borderlands are under nominal control of dragons. Sharn is unable to locate the temple of her hated enemies, and returns to her regions to the south, but other dragons make their lairs in the area. Civilised peoples leave the area to a greater extent, and humanoid tribes of goblins, gnolls, orcs, ogres and minotaurs rise in numbers. The 12 tribes of shifters are decimated.

450 years ago: A leader, Kalashnakash, arises amongst the shifters leads his remaining people against the dragons, carving out a place for them in the world.

440 years ago: With increasing deaths from the predations of the fey into the world, Kalashnakash leads more shifters into the fey realms, to bring tooth and claw to bear against the eladrin kind.

400 years ago – present: The Borderlands have mainly been the home to humanoid tribes, and remaining shifter kind. In recent years, civilisation has increasingly encroached into the area, as humans and others seek both the resources available, and lost treasures of previous civilisations that can be found.